SA 'can jump into WiMax'

By Siyabonga Africa for Motorola
Johannesburg, 30 Oct 2008

SA can make strides in developing its wireless broadband infrastructure by leapfrogging legacy technology and rolling out fibre-optic cables, says Motorola.

Noel Kirkaldy, Motorola marketing solutions director for Middle East and Africa, says the 2010 Fifa World Cup soccer tournament is a great opportunity for SA to show the world what it can do with wireless technology.

“The cost of laying down fibre is way cheaper than laying down copper,” says Kirkaldy. He explains that countries, such as England, which have legacy copper cables, are less inclined to go the wireless route.

“A fibre-optic backbone is a better enabler for wireless technologies such as WiMax, he notes.

Pakistani success story

Motorola and Wateen Telecoms have signed an agreement to expand Wateen's WiMax network in Pakistan. The deal will help enhance coverage and double the capacity of the network, which covers a population of 30 million in Pakistan.

Wateen CEO Tariq Malik says the deal confirms the company's commitment to WiMax and continued investment in its network to ensure WiMax solutions. “Working with a global leader such as Motorola, we revolutionise broadband communications and enrich the lives of consumers in Pakistan.”

Malik adds Wateen is the first company in the world to roll-out an 802.16e WiMax network on a nationwide scale. A Motorola statement says its network expansion for Wateen is already under way and will be operational in the fourth quarter of this year.

“Together, Motorola and Wateen have pioneered the deployment of WiMax. We're proud to have created one of the world's largest and most advanced wireless broadband networks and excited to be expanding its reach,” says Ali Amer, Motorola VP of EMEA sales.

Africa's story

Earlier this year, BMI-TechKnowledge stated next-generation mobile technology could relegate WiMax to a niche position in Africa as a wireless Internet solution.

BMI-T adds that mobile carriers across Africa will take full advantage of their market position to push for long-term evolution technology as a logical follow-on to HSPA for consumers, although some will also deploy their own WiMax networks in niches, for example to their business customers.

“Yet there are still niche markets out there for CDMA and WiMax, and companies can still sell them as an alternative to DSL and eliminate the need for copper wires,” says BMI-T analyst Brian Neilson.